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Cons:

From the moment the disc enters the tray it's clear that a lot has changed in Guitar Hero 5. The traditional title screen is gone. Instead, after the obligatory animated intro (demonstrating the new option to have as many players on whatever instrument you prefer, from four drummers to four vocalists and everything in between), you're greeted with an in-game view of a venue, and a song title appears. The house band begins to play, and from there you go on to the main menu or just... play. You and your friends can jump in or out of a song in progress, on any instrument and difficulty. If you don't like the song, you can skip it, or you can build a new playlist. If you pause and exit the song, the band plays on. This is Guitar Hero 5's new party mode, and -- combined with a new, more realistic look and presentation that bears more than a passing resemblance to Rock Band -- it makes a great first impression. Neversoft has stripped Guitar Hero down to what works and built up from there, making this Neversoft's best Guitar Hero game.

The basics are largely the same, with a few additions. Guitarists see the addition of sustained chords with mid-phrase shifting fingerings for one string. Basslines now have open strumming and drummers can select expert+ difficulty for certain songs (introduced earlier this year in Guitar Hero: Metallica). GH: Metallica's better note-charting and revamped career progression system are also present: Venues are unlocked by earning stars, but you won't need to play every song to gain access to all of the game's available locations (save one in particular). More importantly, all 85 songs are immediately accessible from the quick-play option or party mode, eliminating marathon unlocking sessions before friends come over. While multiplayer sees several new gameplay variations, it's likely that the ease of use and general awesomeness of party mode will see the bulk of your multiplayer time.

The song selection is better than in past Guitar Hero games. Fewer "flavor of the week" songs are present and the playlist shows careful consideration for the most part, with some bold choices (such as Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," which is actually a blast to play). There's just one career path this time (all instruments contribute to your overall career mode progression), and for guitar the difficulty curve is much better than it has been, though it's still all over the place for drums and vocals. Regarding DLC, Neversoft has publicly committed to a more robust music marketplace this time around, but so far it's still got a long way to go before there's anything near Rock Band's impressive offering. More annoyingly, the song transfer process from World Tour to GH5 leaves behind more than 50 of the previous game's tracks, which is a much different tune than what Activision has been singing in the lead-up to release.

Normally I wouldn't spend much time talking about Guitar Hero 5's presentation, but it's strikingly different this time around. The last few Guitar Hero titles have been increasingly garish, but here Neversoft wisely tones down the excesses, opting for a less-is-more approach. The ugly Muppet-from-Hell character models, crass dancing girls, and painfully obvious product-placements are all gone, replaced with realistic-looking characters, more subtle lighting and camera angles, and a considerably streamlined interface. Xbox 360 owners can also use their Xbox Avatars as their in-game characters for all modes. It's a nice touch, but bear in mind your Avatar will look like a bizarre mutant next to the default game characters.

The issue of guest appearances is thornier. While deceased musicians have walked the Guitar Hero stage in the past, the inclusion of Kurt Cobain, the Nirvana frontman who committed suicide in 1994, has generated controversy. However, between the game's revamped presentation and an eerie attention to detail (Cobain's widow supervised his likeness and inclusion in the game), his appearance here remains mostly tasteful, though a little sad. Johnny Cash is also featured, to similar effect.

To steal language from an album review, with Guitar Hero 5 Neversoft has finally found its "confidence." An assured nature to the game's new visual direction contrasts with the see-what-sticks "extreme" visual stylings of its predecessors, and with several new game modes Guitar Hero finally bests its direct competitor in ease of use and friendliness, in many respects. While these games come down to song choice for many people, and The Beatles: Rock Band is right around the corner, Guitar Hero 5 is a strong choice for rhythm game fans and deserves a closer look -- even if the series lost you some time ago.